New rules could mean that very young adults with special circumstances couldbe eligible for social housing.

Currently, only people who are at least 20 years of age can apply for publichousing units.

However, the Ministry of the Interior has now created two exceptions thatwould allow people as young as 18 to be considered.

People age 18 can marry, so one exception is for married couples of that age.

The other is for people who grew up in foster care or other situations wherethey have no homes of their own.

The Ministry says these cases should be few and far between, but these peopleshould still be given the opportunity to have a home.

(EG)

Fires on The Rise

Posted on 2018-11-19 19:06:14

Firefighters are dealing with an increasing number of fires.

According to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics,there were over 21 thousand fires across Taiwan during the first nine monthsof the year.

That's an increase of 10 percent compared to the year before, but there werefewer fire-related casualties.

According to the DGBAS, 140 people were killed and 215 were hurt by firesduring that time.

Over 4 thousand buildings were damaged by fires, and 1,500 cars weredestroyed, costing a combined 530 million NT in financial losses.

Almost a quarter of these fires were caused by micro sources, such as incenseor mosquito repellant.

Another major source were cooking fires.

(EG)

Yemen Rebels to Halt Attacks for Peace Efforts

Posted on 2018-11-19 19:06:14

A senior leader of Yemen's Shiite rebels says that the group will halt rocketfire into Saudi Arabia for the sake of peace efforts

This answers a key Saudi demand and is the first public sign of hope for thelatest push to stop the bloodshed and civilian suffering in the country.

For the past three years, a U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition has been wagingwar against the rebels, known as Houthis, to restore Yemen's internationallyrecognized government to power.

The rebels say they had been excluded from that government and took power torectify historic grievances against central authority.

The rebel leader, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, has ordered the cessation of rocketand drone attacks on the Saudis and forces loyal to coalition member theUnited Arab Emirates at the request of U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths.

Griffiths announced last Friday that both sides had agreed to attend talks inSweden ``soon'' aimed at ending the conflict.

Nissan Dismissing Chair over Financial Misconduct

Posted on 2018-11-19 19:06:14

Nissan Motor Company says it will dismiss its chairman Carlos Ghosn afterfinding that he under-reported his income ``over many years,'' among otherallegations of misconduct.

The company said the violations were discovered during an investigation overseveral months that was instigated by a whistleblower.

Ghosn also allegedly engaged in personal use of company assets.

Nissan said it was providing information to the prosecutors and cooperatingwith their investigation.

The allegations also concern another Nissan executive, its representativedirector Greg Kelly.

Japanese media say Ghosn has voluntarily submitted to questioning by Tokyoprosecutors.

NSB: No Monitoring of Facebook

Posted on 2018-11-19 15:06:13

National security officials say they are not monitoring people's use ofsocial media.

Responding to lawmaker questions, National Security Bureau deputy directorChen Wen-fan says the NSB has never and will never monitor Facebook, norinfringe upon the freedom of speech.

That said, Chen notes the NSB and other security agencies have been crackingdown on foreign attempts to interfere with the upcoming elections byspreading false rumors and information online.

Chen says this is done in line with security and social stability laws, andthe NSB would never violate citizen's rights.

(EG)

CTOC: Don't Vote Rashly

Posted on 2018-11-19 15:06:13

The head of Taiwan's Olympic committee is calling on voters to be rational onelection day.

Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee secretary-general Chen Yi-ting says peopleshould not cast their ballots based soley on emotion when they vote on thereferendum regarding the name Taiwan uses at international sporting events.

That referendum asks voters whether they support using the name Taiwaninstead of Chinese Taipei at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and future competitions.

The International Olympic Committee has repeatedly stressed that the ChineseTaipei name is the result of a long-standing agreement, and Taiwan cannotchange this name unilaterally.

Chen says when the result of the referendum is released, the CTOC will reviewit and decide how to proceed from there.

(EG)

MOST Gifts Film to Elementary Teachers

Posted on 2018-11-19 15:06:14

The Ministry of Science and Technology is offering the free usage of a GoldenBell Award-winning film to elementary school teachers.

Officials say the film "Never Give Up: Stories of Laboratory Challenges" willbe made available to educators online, in order to help students learn aboutTaiwan's advancements in science.

The documentary, subsidized by the M-O-S-T, won the 2017 Golden Bell Awardfor Best Natural Science Documentary.

It's 10 episodes take the perspective of a little girl who explores topicsranging from space, and climate, to the internet and instrument technology.

(NS)

Evacuations Urged Near Guatemala's Erupting Volcano of Fire

Posted on 2018-11-19 15:06:14

Guatemala's Volcano of Fire is erupting again.

Disaster coordination authorities have asked eight communities in the area toevacuate and go to safe areas after the eruption increased.

A spokesman for the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction saysmonitoring of the volcano's activity during the day showed the intensity ofthe eruption was being maintained, so the evacuation was called for toprotect people.

An eruption of the volcano in June killed 194 people and left at least 234missing, although organizations supporting the communities have insisted theactual number of missing persons is in the thousands.

U.S. naval vessels in West Pacific to maintain regional peace: MND

Posted on 2018-11-19 14:06:13

The United States has sent two aircraft carriers to the West Pacific.

Defense Minister Yan De-fa says the deployment is part of Washington's IndoPacific strategy and to maintain regional peace.

Yan says the USS John C. Stennis and USS Ronald Reagan's presence isunrelated to Taiwan's Nov. 24 local government elections.

He stresses that the Taiwan military fully respects the freedom of navigationprinciples being defended by the U.S. and is keeping close tabs on themovements of the carriers.

According to the Ministry, the USS Ronald Reagan is now near the BalintangChannel off the Northern Philippines, while the USS John C. Stennis is in thePhilippine Sea.

(EG)

Animal Protection Education Bills

Posted on 2018-11-19 14:06:13

Lawmakers have passed the first reading of a new bill to increase educationabout the protection animals.

The amendments to the Animal Protection Act call for the government to createeducational programs to increase public awareness about the issue, as well asto include such teachings in the basic school curriculum.

Lawmakers feel current provisions in the act are not doing enough to preventcases of animal abuse and cruelty, which continue to occur.

Lawmakers are also calling for government funding to help control thepopulation of stray animals and increase animal adoption rates.

This comes after the government implemented a no-kill policy at shelters thispast February, but some lawmakers feel the government has not done enough tosupport the shelters, which have limited resources to deal with the animalsthey care for.

(EG)

EasyCard Still the King of Rising Rates of Digital Payments

Posted on 2018-11-19 14:06:14

The Easycard has remained the reigning champion of digital payment methods.

The Directorate General of Budgeting, Accounting, and Statistics has releasednew data showing the total amount of money spent through digital wallets grewby 5.5 percent annually in September to $64-billion NT.

And holding the crown is Taiwan's Easycard, accounting for over 70 percent ofthe total money spent digitally on the island.

The Easycard is also the most often used form of payment, accounting for over60 percent of all transactions.

The DGBAS found that not only is more money being spent through thesemethods, but digital wallets are being used more often, with totaltransactions growing 16.7 percent in September from a year earlier.

The sight of two preteen boys pummeling each other with fists, elbows andfeet as a boisterous crowd shouts wagers at each other is considered good,clean sport in the country.

However, the death earlier this month of a 13-year-old Muay Thai contendermay spark changes to protect other youngsters in Thai kickboxing.

The boy died of a brain hemorrhage two days after being knocked out in aNovember 10th bout, his 174th match in a career started at age 8.

Some of the sport's supporters say his death was a fluke, blaming the refereefor not stopping the fight soon enough and saying no doctor was available.

But a new report by a Thai doctor says even those boys who can carry onfighting are almost guaranteed long-term health damage.

Lu Xiu-Yan Supports Wu Dun-Yi Despite Non-PC Remarks

Posted on 2018-11-19 13:05:13

The KMT candidate for Taichung mayor says she won't stop supporting herparty's chairman after his slip of the tongue.

Wu Dun-yi recently called Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Ju a"fat sow" during a rally for the Kaohsiung KMT candidate, and Taichunghopeful Lu Xiu-yan says it will have some effect on this weekend's election.

But Lu says that's how elections go, with many mistakes made, and you canonly do what you can to minimize the consequences.

She also took advantage of the controversy to remind people that it doesn'tmatter if it's an election or at your own place of work, we must all rememberto respect people's differences of appearance, gender, age, or place oforigin.

Wu has apologized for his remarks, saying he got emotional, but he also triedto downplay their significance, saying they were made at a private event.

(PB)

Taiwan Creates Muslim-friendly Environment

Posted on 2018-11-19 13:05:13

Taiwan is gaining recognition as a Muslim-friendly place to travel.

The island's rating on the Global Muslim Travel Index 2018 shows that theisland has advanced to number 5 among the non-Islamic Cooperationdestinations from 7 last year.

G-M-T-I 2018 is the most comprehensive research on the Halal/Muslim travel,tourism and hospitality market.

Tourism Bureau officials say they have continued to encourage Taiwan'srestaurants and hotels to provide facilities and service that are friendly tomuslim travelers.

Currently Taipei city has 26 eateries and 22 hotels certified by the ChineseMuslim Association, the most islandwide, and in Gaoxiong, it's fourrestaurants and 15 hotels.

Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan Railways stations in Taipei, Taoyuan,Gaoxiong, and Hualian, as well as Taiwan High-speed Rail Taizhong stationalso have facilities for muslims, who are mostly from Malaysia, Singapore,Indonesia, India and Chinese provinces of Gan-su, Ning-xia and Xin-jiang.

(JL)

CHT Working on Fixing Internet

Posted on 2018-11-19 13:05:14

CHT is working to fully restore Internet connections.

Since this morning, netizens have been experiencing poor connectivity to manywebsites, leading to speculation that there was some problem at telecomsoperators.

Chunghwa Telecom says it is working to fix the problem, though it says thecompany is still trying to figure out the scope of the issue and its cause.

(EG)

DPP's Yao Steps Down as Lawmaker to Focus on Taipei Election

Posted on 2018-11-19 12:29:13

The D-P-P's Taipei mayoral candidate Pasuya Yao has resigned from his post asa lawmaker to focus his attention on the local election.

According to Yao, his decision to step down comes as he believes he still hasfighting chance in Saturday's ballot and plans to devote one-hundred percentof his time to ensuring that he doesn't disappoint his supporters.

Yao is also dismissing comments by the K-M-T's Taipei mayoral candidate, DingShou-chong - who has said that Yao has a very outside chance of winning.

Speaking to reporters, Yao said that he remains determined to win and thatother candidates should not dismiss his ability to garner votes and provethat he is a viable candidate.

MOF Releasing Official App to Digitize Receipt Lottery Award Claims

Posted on 2018-11-19 12:29:15

The Ministry of Finance is releasing an official digital receipt lottery app.

The MOF has instructed financial companies to develop the software, and anAndroid version will be released next month with online lottery claim servicestarting January first.

The ministry says its official receipt app will have several functions,including receipt storage, spending analysis, and automatic checking ofreceipts for winning numbers.

The app will also be able to be tied to an individual's bank account and themoney from any winning digital receipts will be automatically deposited intotheir account.

But the ministry says phones using the app need to be NFC-enabled, so for nowservices will be limited to Android phones.

The win was Kumkhum's second W-T-A 125-K title this month after previouslywinning the Mumbai 125-K tournament.

-

And finally in Sunday's Super Basketball League games at the Taoyuan Arena.

Taiwan Beer beat the Dacin Tigers 106 to 85.

Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor beat Bank of Taiwan 88 to 79.

While the Fubon Braves beat the Yulon Luxgen Dinos 71 to 69.

HK Democracy Activists Tried

Posted on 2018-11-19 12:29:16

Three leaders of Hong Kong's 2014 pro-democracy protests and six others arebeing tried for their involvement in the ``Occupy Central'' movement.

The trial for the nine defendants opened today.

They include two professors and a pastor who spearheaded the campaign topress for free elections of Hong Kong's top leader.

Protesters laid siege to government headquarters for 79 days but failed towin any concessions.

Three university students prosecuted in 2016 for their leadership role in theprotests received community service.

Vietnam Landslides Leave Dead and Missing

Posted on 2018-11-19 12:29:17

Landslides due to rains from a tropical storm have killed 13 people and leftfour others missing in south-central Vietnam.

A disaster official says some 600 soldiers have been mobilized to search forthe missing and evacuate people from high-risk areas.

He said the landslides from heavy rains triggered by Tropical Storm Torajicollapsed several houses and buried the victims in some villages in theresort city of Nha Trang on Sunday.

The storm weakened to a tropical depression at sea off the south centralcoastal province of Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan on Sunday night.

Cambodia to End Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Posted on 2018-11-19 12:29:17

Cambodia has reiterated it intends to end the work of the U.N.-backedtribunal that last week convicted the last two surviving leaders of the KhmerRouge of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The country's deputy Prime Minister says the tribunal's work had beencompleted and there would not be any additional prosecutions for acts thatled to the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people in the 1970s.

The only other person convicted was the regime's prisons chief.

US Florida Dem Senator Concedes

Posted on 2018-11-19 12:29:17

Democratic Senator Bill Nelson conceded his bitterly close re-election bid toRepublican Rick Scott on Sunday, just after the deadline for the finalresults from the hand recount.

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports.

Finland Befuddled by Trump "Raking"

Posted on 2018-11-19 12:29:17

A comment from US President Donald Trump has left Finns confused.

Trump told reporters Saturday while visiting the ruins left by fire inNorthern California that wildfires weren't a problem in Finland because crews``spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things'' to clearforest floors.

A Taiwanese exchange student detained in the U-S on firearms charges will besentenced at the U-S District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvanialater Monday.

Sun An-zuo's originally hearing was slated for December 11, but it wasbrought forward at the request of Sun's lawyer.

Sun pleaded guilty to terroristic threats in June, but he is facing federalcharges of possessing ammunition while on a non-immigrant visa.

The charge carries a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years.

But reports from here in Taiwan are claiming Sun is likely to be sentenced tono more than 21 months in prison.

If the teenager waives his right to appeal, he could be deported back toTaiwan on completion of his sentence.

Sun has been detained since his arrest in March.

Bloomberg Warns on Taiwan's Quarterly Earnings

Posted on 2018-11-19 10:48:13

Bloomberg is reporting that fourth quarterly earnings reports from Taiwanesecompanies could prove disappointing due largely to lower than expected iPhonesales and the on-going trade dispute between Washington and Beijing.

According to Bloomberg, net income for companies registered on the Tai-Exindex is expected to drop by 9.2-per cent on-year for this quarter.

That decline comes after under-performing estimates were issued in the threemonths through September.

Taiwan's semiconductor companies account for more than a quarter of thebenchmark-weighting on the Tai-Ex and Apple sales are forecast to negativelytip earnings for the quarter.

Taiwan's Philippine Envoy Calls for Manila's Support for UNFCCC Support

Posted on 2018-11-19 10:48:14

Taiwan's top envoy in the Philippines is urging Manila to support Taiwan's tosecure participation at next month's United Nations Framework Convention onClimate Change.

Writing in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Michael Hsu says participants areexpected to work out and adopt a package of decisions to better ensure thefull implementation of the Paris Agreement at the 24th Session of theConference of the Parties in Poland.

According to Hsu, Taiwan is only allowed to attend the C-O-P sessions as anN-G-O observer due to political pressure and that means the people of Taiwanwill be once again denied a voice in the talks.

Hsu says the Philippine Government and its people should support Taiwan'sparticipation C-O-P meeting and the island should be treated equally in orderthat it be allowed to make a substantial contribution to tackle climatechange.

May Dismisses Calls to Step Down

Posted on 2018-11-19 10:48:14

In international news ....

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May says toppling her would risk delayingBrexit and she will not let talk of a leadership challenge distract her froma critical week of negotiations with Brussels.

May's leadership has been thrust into crisis by the resignation of severalministers and some of her own members of parliament are seeking to oust herafter she unveiled a draft divorce deal last Wednesday.

May has vowed to fight on, but it's not clear if she will be able to win thebacking of parliament.

Hundreds of residents of Tijuana are rallying around a monument in anaffluent section of the city south of California to protest the thousands ofCentral American migrants who have arrived via caravan in hopes of a new lifein the U-S.

Tensions have built as nearly 3,000 migrants from the caravan poured intoTijuana in recent days after more than a month on the road, and with manymore months ahead of them while they seek asylum.

The federal government estimates the number of migrants could soon swell to10,000.

U-S border inspectors are processing only about 100 asylum claims a day atTijuana's main crossing to San Diego.

Houthis Halt Missile Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Posted on 2018-11-19 10:48:15

Houthi rebels in Yemen says they have halted drone and missile attacks onSaudi Arabia, the United Aran Emirates and their Yemeni allies.

The move is seen as a response to a demand from the United Nations.

International pressure has mounted on Yemen's warring parties to end the warthat has killed more than 10,000 people and pushed the country to the vergeof starvation.

And the U-N special envoy is trying to salvage peace talks after a round inSeptember collapsed when the Houthis didn't show up.

Japan's Exports Recover

Posted on 2018-11-19 10:48:15

And finally ....

Japan is reporting a trade deficit in October but is seeing a recovery inexports after getting slammed by natural disasters in September.

The call comes after several award winners made overtly political comments atthe 55th Golden Horse Awards ceremony this past weekend.

Speaking after the ceremony, Lee said that the Golden Horse does its best tobe fair and even-handed and it welcomes everyone in the Chinese language filmindustry to celebrate the remarkable works produced over the past year.

According to Lee, the film festival is open to everyone, no one was told whatto say at the event and that it is "a platform for art and art critics, andhe prefers it to remain pure and for there to be no disturbances."

Lee, who chaired the Golden Horse executive committee, says he believes themovie awards ceremony does its best to be fair and even-handed.

Taiwan Rejoins Kimberley Process Meeting

Posted on 2018-11-19 07:49:15

And finally ....

Taiwan has re-joined the international Kimberley Process annual meeting,which campaigns to eradicate the use of rough, or blood diamonds to financewars.

A delegation from Taiwan attended the annual meeting in Brussels as anobserver last week after a four-year-hiatus.

Taiwan was allowed to attend the event thanks to the assistance of theEuropean Union, which hosted the talks.

The Kimberley Process is a binding agreement that imposes requirements onparticipants through the K-P Certification Scheme which safeguards theshipment of rough diamonds and certifies them as conflict free.

Ding accused Ko of making slow progress made in implementing urban renewalprojects involving old markets, schools and apartment buildings and forfailing to attract more foreign investment.

Ding claimed that only 1-per cent of the urban renewal projects proposed byKo four years ago have been completed.

And said that if he's elected he will make it easier to convert residentialland into commercial use land and provide tax incentives to accelerate thepace of urban renewal.

For his part in the debate, Ko refuted Ding's claim that Taipei's globalcompetitiveness has fallen and that the city has seen a decline in foreigninvestment over the past four years.

As according to Ko, Taipei is now a top choice for foreign investments inTaiwan and the capital currently accounts for 76-per cent of foreigninvestment in Taiwan, up from 52-per cent when he became mayor.

The D-P-P's Pasuya Yao declined to participate in the debate and insteadattended a rally where he announced that he will resign as a lawmaker tofocus his attention on the election.

Small Turnout for Taichung Air Quality Protest

Posted on 2018-11-19 07:14:14

And .....

Some 4,000 protesters have rallied air air pollution in Taichung.

The rally was the third to have been organized by the Air Clean Taiwan - withthe two others taking place in Taipei and Kaohsiung earlier this month.

Participants marched from Taichung Civic Square to the plaza in front of theTaichung City Hall.

And Air Clean Taiwan chairman Yeh Guang-peng says the rally was organized toshow thatTaichung's air quality has not improved as much as the local government hasbeen claiming.

The Environmental Protection Administration has said the Taichung has seen an18-per cent reduction in PM2.5 fine particulate matter since 2015.

Incumbent Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung did not attend the protest.

But the K-M-T's mayoral candidate Lu Shiow-yen did take part in thedemonstration and used it as a platform to promote her intention to cutoutput the Taichung power plant.

Opponents in her Conservative Party threaten to unseat her and the formerBrexit secretary suggested she failed to stand up to bullying from EuropeanUnion officials.

As furious Conservative rebels try to gather the numbers to trigger ano-confidence vote, May insisted she hadn't considered quitting.

May added that the next seven days ``are going to be critical'' forsuccessful Brexit talks, and that she will be travelling to Brussels to meetwith EU leaders before an emergency European Council summit on November 25.

An announcement this week that Britain has struck a draft divorce agreementwith the EU triggered a political crisis in Britain, with the deal roundlysavaged by both the opposition and large chunks of May's own Conservatives.

Two Cabinet ministers and several junior government members quit, and morethan 20 lawmakers have submitted letters of no confidence in May.

The draft agreement envisions Britain leaving the EU as planned on March 29,but remaining inside the bloc's single market and bound by its rules untilthe end of December 2020.

Sri Lankan leaders' crucial talks fail to solve crisis

Posted on 2018-11-19 07:14:15

A crucial meeting among Sri Lanka's political party leaders on Sunday failedto reach a breakthrough to resolve the political turmoil that has engulfedthe island nation for several weeks, according to opposition lawmakers.

Sri Lanka has been in crisis since October 26 when President MaithripalaSirisena abruptly fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointedformer strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Wickremesinghe says he still has the support of a majority in Parliament.

On Sunday, president Sirisena chaired the meeting attended by Rajapaksa,Wickremesinghe and other political leaders.

Talks came two days after the parliament passed the second no-confidencemotions against Rajapaksa who has so far refused to accept the results of themotion and continues to perform as prime minister.

Parliament turned violent when the no-confidence motions were taken up lastweek, with rival lawmakers exchanging blows, injuring several.

Israeli PM rejects early election calls, will take over as Defense Minister

Posted on 2018-11-19 07:14:15

Israel's prime minister says he will also take over as defense minister andis rejecting calls to hold early elections.

Netanyahu announced Sunday that he would take over the defense post followingthe resignation of Avigdor Lieberman.

Lieberman stepped down last week to protest a cease-fire with Hamas militantsin the Gaza Strip.

He had demanded tougher action against the militants.

Lieberman's resignation has left Netanyahu with a narrow majority inparliament, and his remaining partners have demanded he hold early elections.

In his address, Netanyahu said now is not the time for new elections and heis committed to protecting his country's security.

Scattered tax protests persist in France; injuries up to 409

Posted on 2018-11-19 07:14:16

Protests of fuel tax hikes continued to slow traffic around France as thenumber of injuries from the weekend demonstrations climbed to at least over400.

Grassroots protesters, dubbing themselves ``yellow jackets'' for the safetyjackets French motorists are required to keep in vehicles for emergencies,paralyzed traffic by blocking roads around the country Saturday.

Blockades were counted at 150 scattered locations Sunday.

The situation throughout the night was ``agitated,'' with ``aggressions,fights, knife-slashing'' taking place, including among the protesters.

157 people were detained for questioning - double the number reportedSaturday night.

The original target of the protests, tax increases on diesel fuel andgasoline, expanded to include French citizens' decreased buying power andcomplaints about the policies of President Emmanuel Macron.

Macron hasn't commented on the weekend protests.

In a departure from the norm, they weren't led by unions and politicians wereshunned, although some figures on the right and far-right joined theroadblocks.

Macron, Merkel seek common approaches to Trump, euro

Posted on 2018-11-19 07:14:16

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkelconsulted Sunday on migration, fixing the euro currency, Europe's defense,taxing digital companies and other issues as the two leaders looked topreserve their influence abroad while their authority flags at home.

Macron, in Berlin to take part in Germany's national remembrance day for thevictims of war and dictatorship, urged European government to seize moreresponsibility for their own fate, especially regarding defense.

Merkel has offered support for Macron's proposal for a European army someday.

Both leaders have said Europe needs to depend less on others - such as theU.S. - for its defense.

Merkel looked ahead to the European Parliament elections in May, which willgive populist and anti-EU parties another chance to test their appeal withvoters.

The two leaders at the moment are hampered by falling domestic support.

Macron has seen his poll ratings sag at home, where more than aquarter-million people protested Saturday over proposed gas tax hikes.

Merkel has been a lame duck since saying she wouldn't seek another term.

Chilean police resign over shooting of indigenous youth

Posted on 2018-11-19 07:14:16

Two senior police officials have resigned in Chile after the discovery thatofficers destroyed video showing the shooting of a young indigenous man whosedeath set off large protests.

Interior Minister Andres Chadwick said via Twitter that destruction of thememory card from a monitoring camera was unacceptable.

He said General Mauro Victoriano and Colonel Ivan Contreras Figueroa and fourmembers of special forces unit resigned.

Thousands of people attended Saturday's funeral of 24-year-old CamiloCatrillanca, who was shot Wednesday.

Police said they fired while pursuing people who stole three vehicles.

Catrillanca's family said he was shot in the back while riding on a tractor.

Indigenous activists accuse the government of using heavy-handed tacticsagainst the Mapuches, some of whom have been agitating for greater landrights.

Peru says ex-president has sought asylum in Uruguay

Posted on 2018-11-19 07:14:16

Peru's government says former President Alan Garcia is seeking asylum inUruguay days after a prosecutor sought to retain his passport as part of acorruption probe.

Last Wednesday, coast guard crews picked up three boats carrying more than 20migrants from Iran, including a woman and a toddler.

And last Tuesday, 14 men and three minors on a fishing boat, also from Iran,were stopped at Dover Harbor.

Posted on 2018-11-19 07:14:17

In Sunday's Super Basketball League games at the Taoyuan Arena.

Taiwan Beer beat the Dacin Tigers 106 to 85.

Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor beat Bank of Taiwan 88 to 79.

While the Fubon Braves beat the Yulon Luxgen Dinos 71 to 69.

-----------

Turning to soccer ...

Harry Kane and England advanced to the final four of the inaugural UEFANations League after beating Croatia 2-1 at Wembley.

Moldova and Luxembourg drew 1-1.

Belarus beat San Marino 2-0.

Austria beat Northern Ireland 2-1.

Estonia beat Greece 2-1.

Hungary beat Finland 2-0.

And Switzerland beat Belgium 5-2.

Meanwhile ..

Mauritania has qualified for its first major soccer tournament after beatingBotswana 2-1 to claim a place at next year's African Cup of Nations.

It is the second major surprise of qualifying after Madagascar sealed a spotat the African Cup for the first time last month.

------------

Alexander Zverev upset Novak Djokovic to claim the biggest title of hiscareer with a victory at the A-T-P Finals in London.

The 21-year-old Zverev is the youngest champion of the season-ending eventsince Djokovic claimed the first of his five titles a decade ago, and thefirst from Germany since 1995.

Djokovic was attempting to tie Roger Federer's record of six titles butfollowed the same path as the Swiss great, who lost to Zverev in thesemifinals at the O-2 Arena.

------------

England won the second cricket test against Sri Lanka by 57 runs on the fifthand final day Sunday to clinch its first series victory in Sri Lanka in 17years.

England needed just 32 minutes to claim the second test as its spinnersquickly took control.

England captain Joe Root was named man of the match for his magnificent 124that helped England to a total of 346 in its second innings, after thetourists had conceded a deficit of 46 runs in the first innings.

----------

Abraham Ancer went into the final round of the Australian Open with afive-stroke lead and with a few ups and downs along the way, he won it by thesame margin.

The Mexican golfer, who was making his first trip to Australia, shot afinal-round 69 Sunday to finish with a 16-under total of 272 at The Lakes.

His lead was reduced to four strokes a few times.

But Ancer's shot of the day came on the fourth hole where he hit his pitchshot from just off the green well left of the flag, then watched it hit aslope and roll back down to finish in the hole for a birdie.

And thrust both arms up in the air in celebration at Metropolitan Golf Club.

Responding to the comments posted by Chinese nationals on Fu's Facebook page,the President took to her one Facebook page and said that "Taiwan is Taiwan"and "we have never accepted the 'China Taiwan' formula and we will never doso."

Tsai went on to say that "all filmmakers are welcome to engage in exchangeswith people in Taiwan where no one disappears because they hold a viewdifferent from others, nor will they be silenced when they express their ownopinions."

Taipei Host Massive LGBT Rally

Posted on 2018-11-19 05:57:13

Organizers of a pro-same sex marriage rally says some 100,000 people attendedSunday's event on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei to show their support forLGBT rights.

The rally was organized to boost support for this Saturday's referendums toallow for the legalization of gay marriage.

The Gender Equality Education Coalition, which organized the event, says ithopes the large turnout shows that people in Taiwan care about LGBT rightsand will vote down anti-same sex marriage referendums being promoted byconservative and religious groups.

Participants in Sunday's rally included politicians, musicians and filmmakersand featured performances by a dozen artists from Taiwan and overseas.

The International Olympic Committee is reiterating its position on thepossibility of Taiwan changing its name from "Chinese Taipei" to "Taiwan" forthe 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In a letter sent to the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee and Gao Jun-xiong,the head of the Sports Administration, the I-O-C said it does not interferewith local referendum procedures and fully respects freedom of expression.

However, it went on to say that any external interference could be considereda violation of the the Olympic Charter and result in Taiwan losing itsOlympic membership.

The letter comes as voters this Saturday will get to voice their opinions onthe matter in a referendum that asks whether Taiwan should apply toparticipate in all international sporting events, including the 2020 TokyoGames, using the name "Taiwan."

The I-O-C earlier this year said that any attempt to breach the 1981 Lausanneagreement would be considered external interference.

The Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee says it will continue to adhere toregulations as stated by the Olympic Charter.

Morris Chang Touts "APEC Mission Accomplished"

Posted on 2018-11-19 05:57:14

Taiwan's special envoy to the APEC summit says he accomplished everythingwith which he was tasked by President Tsai Ing-wen before the meetingwrapped-up in Papua New Guinea on Sunday.

According to Morris Chang, he successfully completed his mission at thesummit, but he is currently unable to provide any details on that mission.

However, he did say he held "friendly and candid" interactions with over adozen APEC leaders in Port Moresby, including with Chinese President XiJin-ping, U-S Vice President Mike Pence, and the prime ministers of Japan andSingapore.

Chang last served as Taiwan envoy to APEC in 2006.

President Tsai Ing-wen is expressing her gratitude to Chang for his effortsin promoting Taiwan's relations with the United States.

And in her Facebook post, Tsai mentioned Chang's meeting with Pence in whichthey discussed ways to continue enhancing relations between the twocountries.

Taiwan's APEC Rep Holds Talks with U.S. Vice President Pence

Posted on 2018-11-17 15:06:13

Taiwan's APEC representative has held talks with the US vice president.

This is the second time Morris Chang has attended the Asia Pacific EconomicCooperation leaders summit, where he met with Vice President Mike Pencetoday.

At a time when the news media has paid close attention to whether Chang andPence would meet with each other, officials from Taiwan's Ministry of ForeignAffairs confirmed the two met at around 11:30 a.m. Taiwan time.

The talks were held after Pence finished a speech at the APEC CEO Summit,which Chang also attended, but MOFA officials would not disclose what theysaid during their discussion.

President Tsai Ing-wen picked Chang, the founder of contract chipmaker TaiwanSemiconductor Manufacturing Company, as Taiwan's representative to the APECforum.

Despite being a full member of the 21-member inter-governmental forum since1991, Taiwan's presidents are traditionally prohibited from attending theleaders' summit in person due to China's opposition.

The conclusion will bolster efforts in Congress to further punish the closeU.S. ally for the killing.

The Trump administration this week sanctioned 17 Saudi officials for theiralleged role in the killing, but lawmakers have called on the administrationto curtail arms sales to Saudi Arabia or take other harsher punitivemeasures.

Khashoggi was a Saudi who lived in the United States and was a columnist forthe Post where he often criticized the royal family.

He was killed Oct. 2 at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

The Saudi government has denied the claim.

Taiwan Puts Temporary Ban on Japanese Pigs and Pork Products

Posted on 2018-11-17 14:06:13

The COA has placed a temporary ban on the import of live pigs and porkproducts from Japan.

The Council of Agriculture says the ban, which went into effect yesterday, isto protect Taiwan from Japan's current epidemic of swine fever.

This is not the same disease as African swine fever, which is currentlyheavily affecting pig farms in China.

In September Japan announced its first swine fever epidemic in 26 years, andthe World Organisation for Animal Health has suspended it from the list ofcountries free of swine fever, but has not removed its name.

Japan yesterday announced its second case of the disease, and although ithasn't yet informed the WOAH, Taiwan took the chance to protect itself.

KMT Criticizing DPP for Not Releasing Puyuma Report Within One Month of

Posted on 2018-11-17 14:06:13

Accident

The KMT is criticizing the DPP for not fulfilling its agreements in regardsto a report on the recent Puyuma derailment.

The deadly train accident happened on October 21st, and afterwards the rulingand opposition parties reached an agreement that Premier William Lai wouldissue a report within one month.

With that deadline fast approaching, the opposition KMT and New Power Partyon Tuesday called on the DPP to bring Lai to report on the 20th, but theruling party asked for more time.

The DPP now says it will issue that report on the 27th of this month, but KMTlegislators are not satisfied with this and have criticized the TsaiAdministration for trying to delay until after local elections on the 24th.

(PB)

Taiwan Actors Tipped to Take Top Golden Horse Awards

Posted on 2018-11-17 14:06:14

Local actors Roy Qiu and Hsieh Ying-xuan are being tipped to win the topprizes in the best actor and actress categories at tonight's Golden HorseAward's ceremony.

All the other nominees in the lead role categories at the 55th Golden HorseAwards are from China.

Qiu and Hsieh starred in the movie "Dear EX" and won the top awards at theTaipei Film Awards in June.

"Dear EX" is a story about a gay romance, and Hsieh plays a woman whose deadhusband bequeathed his assets to his secret gay lover, who is played by Qiu.

The Golden Horse Awards ceremony takes place tonight at the Sun Yat-senMemorial Hall in Taipei.

Argentina: Submarine Found Sunk Year After Disappearing

Posted on 2018-11-17 14:06:14

Argentina has found one of its submarines that went missing a year ago.

Argentina's navy announced that searchers found the missing ARA San Juan deepin the Atlantic a year after it disappeared with 44 crewmen aboard.

The navy says the vessel was detected 800 meters deep in waters off theValdes Peninsula in Argentine Patagonia.

It says the submarine was found by a remote-operated submersible from theAmerican ship Ocean Infinity, which was hired for the latest search for themissing vessel.

The discovery was announced just two days after families of the missingsailors held a commemoration of the one-year disappearance on November 15th.

The bureau made its recommendation following a recent study it carried out onvoting ages and other regulations.

In keeping in line with 168 countries around the world that have a voting ageof 18 or younger, the bureau says Taiwan should move in the same direction,which is also what the public wants.

Taiwan's voting age is currently set at 20.

In its report, the bureau also recommended the government move to make votingday a holiday.

(PB)

EY Proposes Rules to Curb Fake News

Posted on 2018-11-17 13:05:13

The Executive Yuan says it will be proposing regulations to curb the spreadif disinformation.

The Cabinet says it has identified loopholes in rules against fake news inthe Civil Servants Election and Recall Act as well as other laws and willsubmit its draft after next week's elections.

The executive says it plans to tighten existing rules and could allow peopletargeted in false news stories to ask the sources to remove any links to thenews and possibly even file for injunctions against them in court.

The Ministry of Justice is also warning people against spreading fake news,as it could bring legal action against themselves.

(PB)

Taichung Rainbow Village Featured on BBC

Posted on 2018-11-17 13:05:14

Taichung's famous Rainbow Village is once again getting internationalattention.

The colourful community was recently featured on English public newscasterBBC.

In the piece, the man behind the rainbows, Huang Yong-fu, says he never hadany formal training in painting, but when he started painting the oldbuildings with vibrant colours and animals all he wanted was to protect thevillage.

The village in Taichung's Nantun District was originally going to bedemolished, so since 2008 Huang has been painting the town red... and blue,and yellow, and green, turning it into a tourist hotspot.

Rainbow Village has also appeared in the well-respected Lonely Planet travelguides.

Huang says when he started, he had no idea it would be so popular.

(PB)

US Opposes UN Resolution Upholding Syria's Right to Golan

Posted on 2018-11-17 13:05:14

The United States has voted for the first time against a U.N. resolutionupholding Syria's right to the Golan Heights.

That area was captured by Israel during the 1967 war.

The General Assembly's decolonization committee voted 152-2 in favor of theresolution, with 14 abstentions.

The U.S. previously abstained on the resolution, but yesterday it voted``no,'' joined by Israel.

The resolution calls Israel's laws, jurisdiction and administration of ``theoccupied Syrian Golan'' to be ``null and void.''

The resolution is virtually certain to be adopted by the 193-member GeneralAssembly in December.

Weekend Rallies Islandwide

Posted on 2018-11-17 12:06:13

Political candidates and their supporters nationwide are rallying thisweekend, the last one before the November 24 elections.

In the key battleground city of Kaohsiung, KMT nominee Han Guo-yu has inviteda number of singers to share the stage with him tonight, while a civic groupfurious about Han's labeling the harbor city as "old and poor" are taking tothe street this afternoon.

Han's rival Chen Qi-mai is going to Gang-shan tomorrow where Premier WilliamLai and all former DPP Kaohsiung Mayors are to stump for him.

Meanwhile President Tsai Ing-wen is in central Taiwan's Xin-zhu, Zhang-huaand Taizhong today before heading on to the outlying Peng-hu islands and backto Jia-yi tomorrow.

Opposition KMT heavyweights Ma Ying-jeou and Wu Dun-yi will shore up votesfor their party's candidates for Yun-lin, Jia-yi and Tai-nan at a big rallyin Jia-yi city tomorrow night.

In Taipei city, incumbent Mayor Ko Wen-zhe says as he doesn't have thesupport of political parties, he'll spend the weekend on canvassing acrossthe city.

(JL)

Taiwan Improves Its Muslim-friendly Environment

Posted on 2018-11-17 12:06:13

With the number of Chinese visitors shrinking dramatically, Taiwan's tourismsector is trying hard to win over Muslim traverlers.

Taiwan's rating on the Global Muslim Travel Index 2018 shows that the islandhas advanced to number 5 among the non-Islamic Cooperation destinations from7 last year.

G-M-T-I 2018 is the most comprehensive research on the Halal/Muslim travel,tourism and hospitality market.

Tourism Bureau officials say they have continued to encourage Taiwan'srestaurants and hotels to provide facilities and service that are friendly tomuslim travelers.

Currently Taipei city has 26 eateries and 22 hotels certified by the ChineseMuslim Association, the most islandwide, and in Gaoxiong, it's fourrestaurants and 15 hotels.

Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan Railways stations in Taipei, Taoyuan,Gaoxiong, and Hualian, as well as Taiwan High-speed Rail Taizhong stationalso have facilities for muslims, who are mostly from Malaysia, Singapore,Indonesia, India and Chinese provinces of Gan-su, Ning-xia and Xin-jiang.

(JL)

Timmy Peng Weekend Weather

Posted on 2018-11-17 12:06:14

The weather this weekend will be quite different from the past few days.

Weather expert Timmy Peng explains.

(PB)

South American Circus Lions Still Unsettled in South Africa

Posted on 2018-11-17 12:06:14

Rescued circus lions are still waiting to find a home in South Africa.

More than two dozen lions that were rescued from South American circuses andtransferred to a South African big cat refuge could be on the move againafter a legal dispute.

Animal Defenders International, a group that airlifted the lions to SouthAfrica in 2016, this month secured a court order allowing the removal of thelions from the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater.

Animal Defenders International notes the deaths of six of the 33 lions sincetheir arrival at Emoya, as well as other problems, saying it is organizing a``road trip'' to another home for the survivors.

Emoya denies allegations of wrongdoing. It says the South African courtruling against it is based solely on a termination clause in its contractwith Animal Defenders International.

New Measures Launched to Improve Train Travel Safety

Posted on 2018-11-17 11:06:13

The Ministry of Transportation has announced new measures to improve traintravel safety.

The changes focus primarily on adjustments of a system that controls speed,following a deadly express train derailment last month in northeasternTaiwan.

Transportation Minister Wu Hong-mo says connection problems between theautomatic train protection systems on all 18 Puyuma express trains operatedby the Taiwan Railways Administration and their remote control systems in thedepots, had been corrected by November 10th.

He says this means that the dispatch control room can have real-timeinformation if the ATP is working normally and can be alerted if it is turnedof.

Wu said the TRA will continue testing the system's stability by the end ofNovember.

In addition, the TRA has replaced faulty equipment on the Puyuma trains whichif they malfunctioned could cause power problems.

Wu said there will be a comprehensive system upgrade by next April, whichwill be applied to all train models running across Taiwan.

(PB)

Taiwan's Liberalization Recognized by CPTPP Members: Minister

Posted on 2018-11-17 11:06:13

Taiwan has been recognized for its open economy and liberal trade andinvestment system.

The country's top trade negtiator says the praise comes from members of theComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership(CPTPP).

Taiwan has been trying to join the regional economic bloc since its formationin March by 11 signatory economies, many of which are major trading partnersof Taiwan.

Some of those include Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Taiwanese delegates used the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)ministers meeting in Papua New Guinea as a rare chance to lobby for Taiwan'sCPTPP bid by holding meetings on the sidelines of the APEC forum withrepresentatives of several members of the pact.

It was after this meeting that the members voiced their approval of Taiwan'ssystem.

(PB)

Australian Scholar: Taiwan Cannot Yield to Chinese Pressure

Posted on 2018-11-17 11:06:14

An Australian scholar receiving the Order of Brilliant Star award yesterdayused the platform to encourage Taiwan in the face of Chinese pressure.

Bruce Jacobs has long been concerned with Taiwan's development, and wasawarded the ROC's order that recognizes outstanding contributions to thedevelopment of the nation.

During his acceptance speech, Jacobs said China will do whatever it can tocontinue its threatening of the island, and he says Taiwan cannot yield.

He went on to say Taiwan is a middle power country, not a minor country, andwith its flourishing economy and good education system it is an importantplace.

When awarding Jacobs with the Order of Brilliant Star, Foreign MinisterJoseph Wu praised him for his contributions, and described Jacobs not only asa scholar but as a part of Taiwan's history.

Jacobs first came to Taiwan over 53 years ago, and Wu says he watched asTaiwan did away with its authoritarian past and moved into its democraticfuture.

(PB)

Russian Army: Nearly 270,000 Syrian Refugees Returned Home

Posted on 2018-11-17 11:06:14

The Russian military says nearly 270-thousand Syrian refugees have returnedhome to their country in recent months.

Citing Russian data, a high-ranking officer of the Russian Defense Ministrysays nearly 6,000 people returned to Syria in the last week alone.

Moscow and the government in Damascus have been encouraging refugees torepatriate, arguing that the violence has subsided.

Russia launched military operations to help Syrian President Bashar Assad in2015, changing the tide of the war in his favor.

Western governments have, however, argued that it's too early to encouragereturn, fearing that refugees would be facing persecution.

APG Releases Preliminary Report on Taiwan

Posted on 2018-11-16 17:06:13

The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, or A-P-G, has issued itspreliminary report on Taiwan.

In it, the APG says Taiwan has made a lot of progress in complying withinternational anti-money laundering standards.

Early this month a team from the APG started the peer review process onTaiwan's anti-money laundering practices, inspecting a number of governmentagencies and private entities in the financial sector.

The report lauds government agencies' ability to coordinate with one anotherfor problem solving and offering judicial assistance.

The team's leader also recognized Taiwan's efforts in seeking internationalcooperation in combating crimes.

But the report points out that Taiwan's financial institutions still need tostrengthen their risk management and evaluation of offshore banking units,and need to increase transparency.

The APG is a multilateral mechanism established in 1997 to prevent moneylaundering in Asia Pacific and has 41 members, including Taiwan.

(JL)

Australian Scholar: Taiwan Cannot Yield to Chinese Pressure

Posted on 2018-11-16 17:06:13

An Australian scholar receiving the Order of Brilliant Star today used theplatform to encourage Taiwan in the face of Chinese pressure.

Bruce Jacobs has long been concerned with Taiwan's development, and wasawarded the ROC's order that recognizes outstanding contributions to thedevelopment of the nation.

During his acceptance speech, Jacobs said China will do whatever it can tocontinue its threatening of the island, and he says Taiwan cannot yield.

He went on to say Taiwan is a middle power country, not a minor country, andwith its flourishing economy and good education system it is an importantplace.

When awarding Jacobs with the Order of Brilliant Star, Foreign MinisterJoseph Wu praised him for his contributions, and described Jacobs not only asa scholar but as a part of Taiwan's history.

Jacobs first came to Taiwan over 53 years ago, and Wu says he watched asTaiwan did away with its authoritarian past and moved into its democraticfuture.

Their statement calls for more diversity, fairness and openness in thebusiness world, not only because it's the right thing to do but also becauseit enhances creativity and competitiveness.

Equal Love also urges the business community to encourage employees to goback home to vote in the upcoming referendums.

(JL)

Take a Weight Off: 'Grand K' Kilo Being Retired

Posted on 2018-11-16 17:06:14

Humankind is about to sever one of the links between its present and its past.

The so-called ``Grand K'' kilogram is going to be retired.

The Grand K is a cylinder of polished platinum-iridium alloy that has beenthe world's sole true kilo since 1889.

Nations gathered in Versailles today are expected to instead approve the useof a scientific formula to define the exact weight of a kilogram.

The change will have no discernable impact for most people. Their bathroomscales won't get kinder and kilos and grams won't change in supermarkets.

But scientists are hailing the vote as a mini-revolution in the field ofweights and measures, which underpins vital human activities likeinternational trade.

And it will mean redundancy for the Grand K and its six official copies.

Pasuya Yao Hoping to Ride Taipei Dome Issue Into Office

Posted on 2018-11-16 15:06:13

The DPP Taipei mayoral candidate is hoping to win the race with his idea forthe stalled Taipei Dome arena.

Pasuya Yao held a press conference next to the much maligned arena today,calling on young voters to come out on Sunday to show their support for hisidea to connect the Taipei Dome via overhead green walkways with Sun Yat SenMemorial Hall across the street.

Yao is planning to hold an event on the 18th centered on his plan that wouldconnect Songyan, SYS Memorial Hall, Taipei City Council, and Taipei City Hallinto a public park three times the size of Da'an Forest Park.

As to whether or not any DPP heavy-hitters would be attending the event, Yaosaid he wouldn't reveal any secrets, but he promised that concerned citizenswould turn out in force.

At this rate, 95 unleaded gasoline would drop below the $30 NT per liter markto $29.3, with super diesel falling to $25.8.

CPC says when 95 unleaded costs less than $30 NT per liter its pricestabilization mechanism is deactivated and consumers will bear the full costof following fluctuations.

The main reasons for this week's dip in international crude prices are USPresident Donald Trump calling on OPEC nations not to limit oil productionoutput, the northern hemisphere entering its autumn low period for oil usage,and a continued slump in the US stock market.

CPC will release official fuel figures at noon on Sunday.

(PB)

Hualien Admits to Underselling Gov't Land

Posted on 2018-11-16 15:06:14

The Hualien government has admitted that public land was undersold.

A Hualien County representative says a piece of county land was indeed soldfor a low price, and the government will look into the incident to find outwho is responsible.

A spokesman for Hualien Magistrate Cai Bi-zhong says a 2-thousand threehundred ping area of land was sold for under $1.1 billion NT despite the realestate being appraised at over $1.7 billion.

The comments come after a DPP county councillor recently raised the issue,calling out the county government.

(PB)

Rohingya Refuse Repatriation to Myanmar

Posted on 2018-11-16 15:06:14

Officials say plans to repatriate Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar were cancelled,after they were unable to find anyone who wanted to return.

More than 700-thousand Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from westernMyanmar's Rakhine state to escape killings and destruction of their villagesby the military and Buddhist vigilantes that have drawn widespreadcondemnation of Myanmar.

With New Egypt Capital Being Built, What Becomes of Cairo?

Posted on 2018-11-16 15:06:14

Despite already having a capital city, Egypt is building a whole new one inthe desert.

Cairo is a city of 20 million people, a metropolis combining charm andsqualor, has been the seat of power for more than 1,000 years.

But this historic city may soon witness an exodus by some of its well-heeledresidents, state employees and foreign embassies to the new Egyptian capitalthat doesn't even have a name yet.

The $45 billion US dollar project is the brainchild ofgeneral-turned-president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, and the biggest of themega-projects he launched since taking office in 2014.

He says it will attract investors and create jobs.

But critics call the new capital a vanity project, arguing its cost couldhave been better put to rebuilding the wrecked economy and refurbishingCairo.

KMT Criticizing DPP for Not Releasing Puyuma Report Within One Month of

Posted on 2018-11-16 14:06:13

Accident

The KMT is criticizing the DPP for not fulfilling its agreements in regardsto a report on the recent Puyuma derailment.

The deadly train accident happened on October 21st, and afterwards the rulingand opposition parties reached an agreement that Premier William Lai wouldissue a report within one month.

With that deadline fast approaching, the opposition KMT and New Power Partyon Tueday called on the DPP to bring Lai to report on the 20th, but theruling party asked for more time.

The DPP now says it will issue that report on the 27th of this month, but KMTlegislators are not satisfied with this and have criticized the TsaiAdministration for trying to delay until after local elections on the 24th.

Meanwhile, several people have blocked an elevator in the Ministry ofTransport in protest of the delayed report on the Puyuma derailment after theKMT secretary-general led a group to the building to demand its release.

(PB)

Immigration Officials Warn People about Match-making Ads

Posted on 2018-11-16 14:06:13

Immigration officials are warning people of the risks of using onlinematchmaking services for international marriages.

The National Immigration Agency says they've found 17 irregularities withsuch agencies after receiving complaints about them earlier this year.

The N-I-A says 14 of those cases have violated its regulatory rules and arefacing fines of up to $500-thousand NT.

The N- I-A says in one case, a man complained that a woman he saw on hisfirst visit was totally different from the photo provided by his agency andhe suspected fraud.

Officials say police have started looking into the case but people need to becautious and should make use of the agencies that have been approved by thegovernment.

For more information, can go to www.immigration.gov.tw

(JL)

Morning HSR Delays After Repair Vehicle Broke Down on Tracks

Posted on 2018-11-16 14:06:14

Some HSR trains were delayed this morning after a power line repair vehiclebroke down on the tracks.

The Taiwan High Speed Rail Company says a section between Taoyuan and Hsinchuwas forced to operate on only one track, causing delays on 21 trains goingnorth and south.

Services resumed normal operations by 8am, and the HSR company says it islooking into what caused the failure of the repair car's brake system.

The repairs being carried out this morning were regular maintenanceoperations.

(PB)

Taiwan Shares Drop 29 Points to 9,797

Posted on 2018-11-16 14:06:14

Taiwan shares declined slowly throughout the day, as markets were mostlyhigher in Asia, ending down 29 points at 9,797.

The total turnover was $116.2 billion NT.

Australia, Malaysia Trade Words Over Israel Embassy Shift

Posted on 2018-11-16 14:06:15

Mirroring a move by the United States, Australia could be moving its embassyin Israel to Jerusalem.

And a diplomatic war of words has erupted between Australia and Malaysia overthat possibility.

Canberra currently has its embassy in Tel Aviv, where most other countrieshave their representative offices.

Lai says these funds will be ready to help nurture start-ups and encourageindustry innovation.

He also says his Cabinet will amend relevant laws such as the Company Act tomake it easier for start-ups to acquire investment.

Another aspect of the plan is to lure more foreign talent to the island, andLai says the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionalspassed by the Legislative Yuan in February has already shown some goodresults.

Taiwan's economy mainly rode on the high-tech industries in the past, and Laisays it will have to rely more on innovation-based sectors in the future.

VIVE X, which is HTC VIVE’s global AR/VR accelerator, has announced the nextgroup of companies selected to join the prominent program.

Eighteen new start-ups from across the world will join Vive X programs in theSan Francisco, London, Taipei, Shenzhen, Beijing, and Tel Aviv offices.

Market analysts say Vive X has proven to be one of the most consistent andactive investors in the AR/VR space, funding approximately one hundredcompanies since its inception in July 2016.

As the AR/VR industry continues to cement itself as a mainstream technology,Vive X has curated a diverse portfolio of hardware and software companiesfocusing on a range of different verticals.

Round four of the program houses an increased emphasis on enterprise VRtechnology as the market is forecasted to reach revenue levels of $12.6billion U.S. dollars annually by 2025.

(JL)

Vietnamese Worker Indicted for Killing Compatriot

Posted on 2018-11-16 13:06:14

The Taizhong prosecutors office has indicted a Vietnamese migrant worker onmanslaughter charges for killing a compatriot.

Prosecutors say the man and his victim worked at the same factory inLong-jing District in Taizhong.

They got into a fight on June 30th this year with the suspect stabbing hiscoworker in the side with a fruit knife.

The victim died of hemorrhagic shock in the hospital three days later.

The suspect had insisted that he never meant to kill the other man and thatit just happened.

(JL)

Group Calls for Bigger Seoul Role in Tackling TB in NKorea

Posted on 2018-11-16 13:06:14

A nonprofit group is calling on South Korea to play a bigger role intuberculosis prevention in North Korea.

The U.S.-based group wants Seoul to take stronger steps to fight thetuberculosis crisis in the North it says has worsened under strengthenedU.S.-led sanctions over Pyeongyang's nuclear weapons and missile program.

The Eugene Bell Foundation chairman is criticizing Seoul's supposed lack ofurgency to help aid organizations gain sanctions exemptions to facilitate thedelivery of supplies to treat patients in North Korea.

The World Health Organization says about 107,000 cases of tuberculosis werereported in North Korea in 2017, resulting in about 16,000 deaths.

Taiwan's representative departs for APEC summit

Posted on 2018-11-16 11:13:13

Morris Zhang, Taiwan's representative to this year's APEC leaders' meeting,has promised to present the best side of Taiwan at the summit on November18th.

Speaking at Taoyuan International Airport today before departing for PapuaNew Guinea, Zhang also says that Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting isa very important event that offers Taiwan a rare opportunity to meet withleaders of other countries.

The retired TSMC founder adds that Taiwan plays an important role in APEC inareas such as economics and innovation.

He also vows to work hard to fight for the country's interests, saying hewill speak up in APEC conferences and interact with other leaders on thesidelines.

It is the second time Zhang gord to APEC as an envoy, the first being in 2006under former President Chen Shui-bian

Among the leaders who will attend this year's event are U.S. Vice PresidentMike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping

(JL)

US Officials Visit Cali Fire Site

Posted on 2018-11-16 11:13:14

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Governor Jerry Brown got a look at wildfiredamage in Paradise, California in the deadliest wildfire in a century.

The AP's Ed Donahue reports.

US Fails to Amend UN Resolution on Sexual Reproductive Health

Posted on 2018-11-16 11:13:15

The United States has failed in an attempt to water down references to``sexual and reproductive health'' in a proposed U.N. resolution despitesupport from China and many Islamic countries.

The General Assembly's human rights committee defeated the U.S. attempt toamend the resolution aimed at preventing and ending early and forced childmarriages.

Traditional U.S. allies including the European Union and Western nationsopposed the Trump administration's amendment along with many African andLatin American countries.

Approval of the resolution by the assembly is virtually certain.

Brazil Loses Cuban Doctors

Posted on 2018-11-16 11:13:15

Millions of Brazilians may be left without access to doctors due to the endof a program that brought Cuban physicians to rural and dangerous areas inBrazil.

The Cuban government said it would end the program after BrazilianPresident-elect Jair Bolsonaro said it could only continue if severalconditions were met.

In a phone interview, former Health Minister Alexandre Padilha said Cubandoctors were in 2,800 cities and towns, and they were the only doctors in1,700 of those towns.

Padilha says the change "will have an immediate and terrible impact on thehealth care system.''

Tai-Ex opening

Posted on 2018-11-16 10:21:13

The Tai-Ex opened down 7-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 9,819points on turnover of 2.1-billion N-T.

The market closed above the 9,800-point mark Thursday, despite losses seen inthe tech sector, which took a hit after shares of Apple fell for a fifthconsecutive day in U-S markets overnight amid mounting concern about lowerthan expected iPhone sales.

Meanwhile ..

The Taiwan Futures Exchange is currently trading at 9795. Trading volumestands at 59.888 .

Foreign Airlines Begin Allowing Airport MRT Check-In

Posted on 2018-11-16 10:21:13

Several foreign airlines have began offering early check-in services for theAirport MRT.

The General Assembly's human rights committee approved the resolution byconsensus after Sudan failed in an attempt to delete a provision encouragingthe Security Council to consider referring North Korea to the InternationalCriminal Court.

The resolution is now certain to be approved by the assembly in December.

And it expresses "very serious concern" at torture and other abuses.

North Korea's U-N Mission is rejecting the resolution - calling it apolitical plot by hostile forces trying to disgrace the country's image.

Pelosi Claims 'Overwhelming' Democratic Support to be Speaker Again

Posted on 2018-11-16 09:10:14

In news from the U-S ....

With Democrats retaking the House, Nancy Pelosi says she has overwhelmingsupport to become speaker for the second time.

The A-P's Sagar Meghani reports.

Students Rally Against Spending Cuts in Colombia

Posted on 2018-11-16 09:10:14

Thousands of students have disrupted life in Colombia's capital with amidnationwide demonstrations called to press demands for President Ivan Duque toincrease education spending.

And police in Bogota used tear gas to disperse marchers trying to reachwealthier neighborhoods.

The "Pencil March" rallies across Colombia were the latest chapter in morethan a half-dozen street protests in recent months demanding that thegovernment boost funding for education.

Student enrollment in the country's public universities has quadrupled sincethe early 1990s, while spending has only marginally increased.

Chukchi Polar Bears Doing Better than Expected

Posted on 2018-11-16 09:10:15

And finally .....

A population study of polar bears in the Chukchi (chuk-CHEE) Sea betweenAlaska and Russia has found that the population is thriving for now - despitea loss of sea ice because of climate change.

The study estimates that there are nearly 3,000 Chukchi bears.

Research by the U-S Geological Survey had previously indicated Chukchi polarbears have almost 30 fewer days to hunt on ice.

However, the new study says polar bears can build fat reserves and theChukchi's abundant seal population may allow bears to compensate for the lossof hunting time.

The United States listed polar bears as being threatened in 2008.

Taichung Flora Expo to Close For Election Day

Posted on 2018-11-16 08:07:15

Taichung City government Deputy Secretary-General Guo Kun-ming says the WorldFlora Exposition will be closed on election day.

According to Guo, who also serves as the expo's C-E-O, the decision to closeall the flora show's venues is aimed at ensure the voting rights of thepeople working at the event.

The expo will re-open as normal on Sunday, November 25.

City officials say the Flora Expo has attracted 626,180 visitors since itopened on November 3.

And Taichung's Transportation Bureau says the number of visitors is expectedto rise sharply in the coming months as schools go into winter vacation andthe Lunar New Year holiday comes up in February.

The expo will only be closed for one day during the Lunar New Year holiday.

The Taichung World Flora Exposition is being held at three different venuesand showcases 2,500 species of plants.

Taipei 101 New Year Fireworks Display to be Longer

Posted on 2018-11-16 08:07:15

The 2019 New Year's Day fireworks at the Taipei 101 will be longer than lastyear and festivities will also include a series of parties starting from theend of this month.

According to Taipei Financial Center Corporation, New Year's Day fireworksdisplay will last longer than 5 minutes this year.

And it will include animations and music prepared by award-winning Taiwanesegroups and well-known local celebrities hosting the New Year countdown.

Taiwan Actors Tipped to Take Top Golden Horse Awards

Posted on 2018-11-16 08:07:15

Local actors Roy Qiu and Hsieh Ying-xuan are being tipped to win the topprizes in the best actor and actress categories at this weekend's GoldenHorse Award's ceremony.

All the other nominees in the lead role categories at the 55th Golden HorseAwards are from China.

Qiu and Hsieh starred in the movie "Dear EX" and won the top awards at theTaipei Film Awards in June.

"Dear EX" is a story about a gay romance, and Hsieh plays a woman whose deadhusband bequeathed his assets to his secret gay lover, who is played by Qiu.

The Golden Horse Awards ceremony takes place tomorrow at the Sun Yat-senMemorial Hall in Taipei.